Syria crisis: Mosque bomb kills pro-government cleric
The cleric had been a vocal critic of the uprising against the Syrian government
A leading Syrian pro-government Sunni cleric has been been killed in a blast at a mosque in the centre of the capital, Damascus, say state media.
The Sana news agency said Mohammed al-Buti had been "martyred in a terrorist explosion" at the Iman mosque.
At least 14 people died in the blast - and more than 40 others were wounded, state TV said.
The cleric, in his eighties, was a long-time supporter of President Bashar al-Assad and often appeared on TV.
State media said the blast, in the Mazraa district of the capital, was a "terrorist suicide attack".
It broadcast footage of bodies and wounded people at the scene.
The pro-opposition Syria Observatory for Human Rights said at least 15 civilians had been killed and dozens wounded.
The opposition activist Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) put the number of dead at 20. It said the area had been "under the full control of the regime forces" at the time.
Reuters news agency quoted local residents as saying the blast may have been caused by a mortar round which landed nearby.
Dr al-Buti was a Sunni Muslim - the majority sect in Syria who have led the uprising against Alawite Mr Assad - but had been a vocal supporter of the president.
He regularly preached on Syrian TV and had been fiercely critical of opponents of Mr Assad.
The BBC's Arab Affairs editor Sebastian Usher says Dr al-Buti had become a hate figure for those within his own Sunni community, and that his death will be major blow to the Assad government.
The attack came hours after the UN said it would investigate allegations that chemical weapons had been used in Syria earlier this week.
The Syrian government and opposition forces have both blamed each other for an attack in the Khan al-Assal area of Aleppo province. They both called for an inquiry.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that he was working to establish the investigation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which oversees the chemical weapons convention, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
"My announcement should serve as an unequivocal reminder that the use of chemical weapons is a crime against humanity," said Mr Ban.
"The international community needs full assurance that chemical weapons stockpiles are verifiably safeguarded."
US President Barack Obama has repeatedly said the use of chemical weapons would be a "red line".
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ANALYSIS
Sebastian Usher BBC Arab Affairs editor
Dr al-Buti had become a hate figure for those within his own Sunni community fighting and protesting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
A well-respected religious figure in his eighties, his adherence to the Assad dynasty dates back decades. As the anti-Assad protests erupted two years ago, he was a forceful voice telling his fellow Sunnis to stay loyal to the president.
He continued with that message at his Friday prayers and on TV. His death is a new blow to the heart of President Assad's power, which has already seen the death or desertion of many of its leading Sunni supporters, who had once given it legitimacy.
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